TWC Rolls More Wi-Fi Into Austin

Time Warner Cable said its Wi-Fi footprint in Austin has expanded to 900 hotspots as it moves ahead on a plan that will extend that number to 1,350 by the end of of the year and beyond that in 2014.

TWC provides free access to those access points to cable modem subs that subscribe to its standard Internet tier (15 Mbps downstream) or above, as well as a pay-as-you-go option to non-subscribers. High-speed Internet customers of other operators that are part of the “CableWiFi” alliance – Comcast, Bright House Networks, Cox Communications and Cablevision Systems – can also tap in using their login credentials.

TWC is also the official Wi-Fi provider of the Austin ACL Festival, which spans two, three-day weekends starting today through October 13. TWC is providing festival-goers with free access to a Wi-Fi network that covers the event's "Austin Eats" area.

A TWC spokeswoman said the operator is using Ruckus Wireless equipment for its rollout in Austin.

Austin is becoming not just a hot spot for Wi-Fi, but super-fast broadband competition as well. Google Fiber is preparing to connect homes to its 1 Gbps network by mid-2014. AT&T announced this week that its coming fiber-based network in Austin will offer 300 Mbps speeds by this December, and reach up to 1 Gbps by mid-2014.